DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Waugh Campground in Burleson County. Now settle in, because this little patch of Texas ground has seen more history than you might expect from a camp-meeting site. The story starts with the Isaac S.
Addison family, who gave this land to the Methodist church to serve as a camp-meeting ground. That right there is a generous act, and the Addisons weren't done yet. It was Mrs.
Addison who gave the camp its name — Waugh — chosen in honor of Bishop Beverly Waugh, the man who presided at the first Methodist Conference in Texas. And here's a detail worth savoring: both Bishop Waugh and the Addisons were from Baltimore, Maryland. A little piece of Baltimore, planted right here in the Texas soil.
Now, the site did exactly what a good camp-meeting ground is supposed to do. It hosted quarterly conferences of the church, it held revivals, and those revivals had a way of leaving a mark. One young man who came to this ground and was converted here was the Reverend B.
H. Carroll — born 1843, died 1914 — who went on to become a great Baptist leader. Think about that.
A Methodist camp-meeting ground, and one of its most consequential converts went on to lead in the Baptist faith. The ground didn't seem to mind. But Waugh Campground wasn't strictly a religious affair.
It was open for secular gatherings too, and on July 16, 1857, it hosted what the marker calls a famous occasion — a debate between U.S. Senator Sam Houston and Judge A. S.
Broaddus, a Burleson County leader. Sam Houston, at a campground in Burleson County, going toe to toe with a local judge. Whatever was said that day, you can bet the crowd did not leave disappointed.
One piece of land. A Baltimore family's gift. A bishop honored from across the country.
A future Baptist leader converted under open skies. And Sam Houston himself, debating on a summer day in 1857. Waugh Campground was doing a lot of work for a camp-meeting site.
What the marker says
Given to Methodist church as a camp-meeting site, by the Isaac S. Addison family. Mrs. Addison named camp in honor of Bishop Beverly Waugh, who presided at first Methodist Conference in Texas, and who, like the Addisons, was from Baltimore, Md. Site was used for quarterly conferences of the church and for revivals. Converted here was The Rev. B. H. Carroll (1843-1914), great Baptist leader. Campground was open also for secular gatherings. A famous occasion was the July 16, 1857, debate between U.S. Senator Sam Houston and Judge A. S. Broaddus, a Burleson County leader.